Aside from the comments on Yakupov, the most interesting comments to me in Steve Tambellini’s last press conference were the ones on the Oilers’ goaltending situation. Tambellini confirmed that Nikolai Khabibulin would be back, and praised his veteran goaltender.

Asked by Bob Stauffer whether or not Devan Dubnyk was a starter, Tambellini answered this way:

Only to the point, Bob, where maybe he hasn’t done it long enough. In peoples’ minds, they see the potential. I know he wants it, I know he wants it badly. I’ve always said to both him and Khabby, ‘I don’t care who it is, just somebody take the net.’ If I’m saying that to a young guy, and if I’m a young player and my manager has told me, he’s given me the green light that if you’re playing that well it’s your net, go take it, I’m pretty excited. I like what I saw the last third of the season, I liked his poise. I liked the way he handled, you know playing once a week or every two games here and then sitting five games is much different from managing your energy, confidence levels, expectations from the rest of the team that ‘we need someone to be in a post that can help us win every night, give us a chance to win every night.’ So there were good signs.

The first sentence of that quote is the one that jumps out at me. Dubnyk’s career save percentage in the NHL is 0.910, which is right around the league average and compares favourably to guys like Marc-Andre Fleury (0.912) and Martin Brodeur (0.910) in the same span.

On Khabibulin, Tambellini was definitive, saying “We’ll have Nik back.” Asked what role Khabibulin would return in, he expanded on that statement:

You know, when I talked to Nik in his post season exit meetings, he told me he wants to play another four or five years. I said ‘You feel that good Nik?’ and he said ‘Well why not?’ So, by him saying that to me, he’s still feeling the compete and the challenge. I think guys like Nik Khabibulin need to be, or like to be, challenged or motivated, they’re not afraid of it. So Devan’s poised right now to take games from him and I love the fact his plan is to get the net back.

Khabibulin and Dubnyk both started playing for the Oilers in 2009-10. Here’s the list of active NHL goalies (minimum 50 GP) and their save percentages since that season, with Khabibulin and Dubnyk bolded:

Rk

Player

GP

W

L

T/O

SV%

1

Cory Schneider

60

36

13

3

0.932

2

Tuukka Rask

97

44

34

10

0.927

3

Tim Thomas

159

87

48

18

0.926

4

Henrik Lundqvist

203

110

72

20

0.924

5

Pekka Rinne

195

108

56

22

0.922

6

Tomas Vokoun

168

70

73

18

0.922

7

Ryan Miller

196

106

61

23

0.921

8

Jaroslav Halak

148

79

46

19

0.920

9

Roberto Luongo

183

109

51

19

0.920

10

Evgeni Nabokov

113

63

34

13

0.919

11

Ilya Bryzgalov

196

111

56

23

0.918

12

Carey Price

178

77

76

22

0.918

13

Jonathan Quick

202

109

67

23

0.918

14

Cam Ward

189

85

72

28

0.918

15

Jonas Hiller

181

85

69

19

0.917

16

Jimmy Howard

183

109

49

19

0.917

17

Kari Lehtonen

140

72

50

15

0.917

18

Miikka Kiprusoff

214

107

74

27

0.916

19

Jason LaBarbera

53

18

20

7

0.916

20

Antti Niemi

167

95

47

19

0.916

21

Mike Smith

131

64

42

18

0.916

22

Craig Anderson

185

95

67

17

0.915

23

Johan Hedberg

108

53

35

10

0.915

24

Semyon Varlamov

106

52

37

14

0.915

25

Jose Theodore

132

67

34

21

0.914

26

Niklas Backstrom

157

67

64

20

0.912

27

Scott Clemmensen

84

31

25

15

0.912

28

Marc-Andre Fleury

199

115

58

15

0.912

29

Josh Harding

59

22

24

4

0.912

30

James Reimer

71

34

24

9

0.911

31

Martin Brodeur

192

99

72

13

0.910

32

Corey Crawford

115

63

36

13

0.910

33

Devan Dubnyk

101

36

43

13

0.910

34

Brian Elliott

148

67

55

17

0.910

35

Michal Neuvirth

103

49

29

9

0.910

36

Sergei Bobrovsky

83

42

23

10

0.909

37

Jean-Sebastien Giguere

100

36

37

14

0.909

38

Ondrej Pavelec

168

64

69

25

0.909

39

Brent Johnson

62

29

18

6

0.907

40

Andrew Raycroft

50

19

18

1

0.907

41

Ray Emery

73

38

22

5

0.906

42

Martin Biron

67

29

26

6

0.905

43

Chris Mason

114

51

42

12

0.905

44

Al Montoya

51

18

16

10

0.905

45

Antero Niittymaki

73

33

25

8

0.905

46

Marty Turco

87

35

33

14

0.905

47

Brian Boucher

77

28

34

8

0.904

48

Dan Ellis

85

37

28

8

0.904

49

Dwayne Roloson

144

60

59

15

0.904

50

Peter Budaj

77

25

33

11

0.903

51

Mathieu Garon

119

45

39

16

0.902

52

Jeff Deslauriers

52

19

29

4

0.901

53

Nikolai Khabibulin

105

29

61

13

0.901

54

Curtis McElhinney

50

18

18

3

0.901

55

Ty Conklin

66

23

24

7

0.900

56

Jonas Gustavsson

107

39

45

15

0.900

57

Steve Mason

158

60

73

19

0.899

58

Alex Auld

54

17

13

7

0.898

Devan Dubnyk ranks 33rd on the list. Omitting his cameo at the end of 2009-10, and he moves to 22nd among NHL goalies, tied with Craig Anderson. He’s young, and even if he’s reached his plateau he’s still a very respectable 1A/1B-style goalie.

Nikolai Khabibulin ranks 53rd on that list, tied with Jeff Deslauriers and Curtis McElhinney. Only four guys with a minimum of 50 games have posted a worse save percentage. Omit his strong part-season in 2009-10 with the Oilers (18GP, 0.909 SV%) and his save percentage drops to 0.899, ahead of only Alex Auld and just behind Ty Conklin and Jonas Gustavsson.

The numbers are clear, and in this case tell truth. The decision to stick with Devan Dubnyk is a good one. The decision to stick with Nikolai Khabibulin is indefensible for a team actively trying to win.

A team actively looking to move out of the basement would look at what Khabibulin has done the last few years, decide that he’s not up to the job, and find another option. Even the Oilers’ third-stringer this season – Yann Danis, the AHL’s goalie of the year – is a better option for the NHL roster than Nik Khabibulin.

It’s a bad choice for the Oilers, but this isn’t new. They’ve been making bad choices with Khabibulin since the day they signed him.

Today at the Nation Network

Jonathan Willis is a freelance writer.
He currently works for Oilers Nation, Sportsnet, the Edmonton Journal and Bleacher Report.
He's co-written three books and worked for myriad websites, including Grantland, ESPN, The Score, and Hockey Prospectus. He was previously the founder and managing editor of Copper & Blue.

Tambelini and the Oiler Org is in rebuild mode. Proof that they have been successful is 3 1OV in a row. Whatever else he says about whoever is irrelevant, they will not be here when we celebrate the cup.

Tambellini watches the same game we do. He's fully aware that NK is not confident in net and the fans have no confidence seeing him starting in any game. He was only repeating to the media what he was told by Habby. If we're stuck with him for another season, I'm sure he's the back up. I thought Tambie was trying to exercise diplomacy and tact when he talked about Renney, Habby and Smyth. He confirmed that Smyth has a contract to consider and expected to hear from the Smyth camp by now, and that #94 is holding the cards on his future as an Oiler. Like everyone else, I don't want to see NK back between the pipes either, but I'm sure we are all going to have to.

This damning statement is grounds for Tambellini's dismissal if nothing else is. Added all together, why is Mr. Dithers still here!!!? Even the hockey gods can't help this team much if Tambellini is still in charge.

I realize that bashing Khabby is the new flavour of the week amongst Oiler fans. Probably rightfully so. But if he comes to camp competes and earns a back-up role I do not have a problem having a veteran motivated back-up. It wouldn't be bad having an old-fart back up who has the ability to steal a play-off series if we happen to squeak in.

The important thing he has to earn it. I don't really know want people wanted Tambo to say. That Nik is old and washed up? That he is useless and should look elsewhere. Wouldn't that look good across the league when other players decide if they want to play with this organization.

Besides there are a couple old goalies that have shown lately that they can go on a run. They were considered washed up once too.

I don't feel the panic. Give Dubey 60 games and Khabby 20. Try to deal him at the trade deadline... If not we will have better feel for what Dubey looks like as a starter and we can make our move 1 year from now. I think with the rest of the team improving.. we can make the jump to 8-10th in the West and that would be a huge success and 1 more step in the right direction.

Tambillini must be on a leather diet for all the boot he sticks in his mouth. This is the kind of leadership we are stuck with to guide us out of toilet bowl contention year after year. Can't make a decision on coaching ? what is this all about ? he needs more time to think about a 29 place finish. That said this whole gong show is really not about coaching. It goes higher up the food chain than that ! How about start with Kevin Lowe first off, Tambellini second, both these clowns are equally accountable to this prolonged debauckle. Asking/telling Renney to take a couple weeks off and we'll talk in a couple weeks is a joke and displays zero respect and no leadership at all. Laying this blame on the coach is really just deflecting the foo foo from the real problem here. How can a GM who him self does not even have a contract make such decisions ? The organization obviously have a behind the doors deal for a Tambellini extention, but not yet made public ? What is up with this ? This management is a complete JOKE ! There is way to much reward for zero results ! I have no problem with Renny coaching this team my issue is the cards he's dealt.

I don't care what the numbers say.
0.901 is below average, but save percentage doesn't win hockey games.
22-53-11 looks bad, but is it a losing record? Can't tell. Not enough information. Is Khabi worth $3.75M a year? Maybe. Maybe not. Too early to say.

The only number that matters? 35. That's Nik's jersey number. Nik's jersey hangs in the locker room and he's a great leader for the young kids on the team. He's got a lot of poise and that's what matters. Poise. Making saves. Winning games. Clutch. Poise. He's our MVP. Dubnyk hasn't proved anything yet, but I'm happy with his progress and his poise. But Nik also has a lot of poise. Poise.

Did anyone ever stop and think that ST is just saying this in order to be classy and not throw another veteran player under the bus? just because he says this in april doesn't mean he won't be actively looking for an upgrade or that he's contemplating an extension. let's not call this a mistake before anything has actually happened

Exactly. Why would anyone, GM, coach, player, trainer, criticize anyone in the organization publicly? It's absolutely stupid, see Sheldon Souray. It usually leaves you with one and only one option.

Wether ST believes Khabbi is still a good goalie or not, he's still gonna pump his tires in the media.

Starting spring training next year we'll be entering the 4th season of Tambellini pretending Khabibulin was a good signing. Luckily it will be the last. With regards to his handling of Renney, if he makes Renney sit and wait at home for several weeks and then announces Tom's been fired it would be totally classless. You've watched him lead the team for two years and you need two more weeks with no games being played by your team to make a final decision? Wow.

First overall pick? Don't over think this thing. Take Yakupov. If it's even plausible (which it is) that Yakupov could be as good as RNH or Taylor Hall then you owe it to the Oilers long suffering fan base to take the kid and let him play. Tambellini isn't going to outsmart any GM.

I'm a glass half full kind of a guy. I see Khabby, and I see a Russian on the last year of his contract looking for a new one. He needs to play lights out to get that new contract that he will want....Well at least that's what I hope happens if he is still here come October.

Buying out Khabi is not an option unless its the amnesty clause, buying him out does nothing because his cap hit sticks this year so it serves no purpose, the cap has no issue this year as we aren't a cap team, it sucks having him still but at least after this year he is gone along with the cap hit and the Oilers free up a good chunk of cap.

So again even using the amnesty clause on Khabi is not smart management. In the end the Oilers may have to bite the bullet on Horcoff and use it on him, it would be a tough move for the organization but from a financial and cap standpoint its a no brainer.

What would be ideal if the new CBA comes into the place and then the NHL limits 2nd contracts and then we can buy out Horcoff using the amnesty clause in the summer of next year because his 5.5 cap hit doesn't effect the Oilers this year.

It does serve a purpose. It saves $1.25 mil in cash, which could be used on another goaltender who can stop the puck.

The Oilers will not be a cap spending team next year, so that cap hit isn't really an issue.

The focus should be on getting Dubnyk to the next level in 2012/2013. Can he play 60 to 65 games a year and deliver steady or even spectacular goaltending throughout?

When he's planted to the bench for so many games, the backup has two duties. 1, always be ready. 2, be a real good cheerleader. My understanding is that Khabibulin has been very good with Dubnyk (Remember that meltdown in Leafsnation when two mid-20's relatively in-experienced goalies collapsed and the rest of the team with them?) So if it helps Dubnyk progess, let's keep Khabibulin. He doesn't complain about the lack of games and he understands if Dubnyk gets the ball. Complaining about his contract is moot at this point.

If Khabbi stays, it will be to play 20 games and mentor DD and Yakupov, hopefully. At the trade deadline I would expect him to be traded, if he has not met expectations. He has definitely performed poorly, but so has the AHL D that has been in front of him.

He has been injured every year, so now is the time to manage his time properly and give the reins to double dee.